Fund-raiser Kicks Off Drive For Latinos

Nearly 100 people attended a fund-raising dinner last night to kick off a movement to empower the growing Latino community in the Lehigh Valley.

Latinos for a New Lehigh Valley has brought together Puerto Rican and others of Latin American backgrounds to work for common goals, said Jose Rosado co-chairman of the group.

Latino organizations have existed for some time, Rosado said, but now the time is right to organize and call attention to issues such as housing, education and other services.

"It's our time and it's time for us to take our stand," he said.

The launching of the organization comes after a recent drive in which about 1,500 Latinos were registered to vote.

"Voter registration drives are something that has been done before, but now we are taking the next step," said Marty Velazquez, treasurer of the organization. "The next step is to get (the newly registered) out to vote."

"For years we have been called a sleeping giant," said Sandra Figueroa co-chair of the organization. "Well, the giant has awakened."

The number of Latinos are enough to make a difference in elections, organizers said.

The group intends to support candidates who will recognize the needs of the Latino community, Rosado said. In the future it will work to elect Latinos to the city councils and school boards in Allentown and Bethlehem.

Democratic candidates Karen Ritter, seeking re-election in the 131st District, and Paul McHale, running for the 15th District congressional seat, spoke to the gathering.

Also, Fredric Ramirez, director of the office of the government of Puerto Rico in Philadelphia, encouraged Latinos to vote and participate in the electoral process.

In Puerto Rico the 95 percent of all eligible voters register, Ramirez said, and the during the last election 87 percent of all those eligible to vote went to the polls.

Ramirez said the right to vote is treasured by people in the Caribbean island and they see it as a tool to deal with problems or unfavorable situations and candidates.

"We very simply elect people who are for our interests," Ramirez said.

The government of Puerto Rico, Ramirez said, does not wish to tell people how to vote. Rather it wanted to encourage people to vote and to use the electoral ballot as a tool "to correct inequities and injustice."

It is important to "retain our national identity" Ramirez said yet at the same time it is important to become a part of society in the United States. Voting is just one of the ways and one of the most significant in becoming involved in the society, he said.